How much you can get

Your rate will depend on your study load and the payment you get from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

There are 2 different rates, either:

• $62.40 a fortnight
• $31.20 a fortnight.

Getting a payment from us

You’ll get $62.40 a fortnight if you’re studying at least a 50% full time course load and you get one of these:

• Carer Payment
• Parenting Payment single
• JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for job seekers as a single principal carer
• JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for job seekers with a partial capacity to work
• Special Benefit as a single parent.

If you get Disability Support Pension, you’ll also get this amount if you study at least a 25% full time course load.

You’ll get $31.20 a fortnight if you’re studying less than a 50% full time course load and you get one of these:

• JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for job seekers as a single principal carer
• JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance for job seekers with a partial capacity to work Carer Payment
• Parenting Payment Single
• Special Benefit as a sole parent.

Getting a payment from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs

You’ll get $62.40 a fortnight if you’re studying at least a 25% full time course load and you get either:

• Invalidity Service Pension
• War Widow Pension or War Widower Pension with Invalidity Support Supplement and a dependent child.

You’ll get $62.40 a fortnight if you’re studying at least a 50% full time course load and you get one of these:

• Partner Service Pension
• Carer Service Pension
• Veteran Payment
• Income Support Supplement.

You’ll also get $62.40 a fortnight if you’re studying at least a 50% full time course load, have a dependent child and you get one of these:

• War Widow Pension or War Widower Pension
• Defence Widow Pension or Defence Widower Pension
• Disability Compensation Payment including TPI
• Special Rate Disability Pension
• Ongoing Permanent Impairment Payments
• Wholly Dependent Partner Payment.

You’ll get $31.20 a fortnight if you’re studying less than a 50% full time course load and you get one of these:

• Partner Service Pension
• Carer Service Pension
• Income Support Supplement
• Veteran Payment.

You’ll also get $31.20 a fortnight if you’re studying less than a 50% full time course load, you have a dependent child and you get one of these:

• War Widow Pension or War Widower Pension
• Defence Widow Pension or Defence Widower Pension
• Disability Compensation Payment including TPI
• Special Rate Disability Pension
• Ongoing Permanent Impairment Payments
• Wholly Dependent Partner Payment.

Read more about other financial support on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs website.

Limits on how long you’ll get it for

There are limits on how long you can get the Pensioner Education Supplement for.

We’ll calculate how long you’ll get the supplement based on both:

• the least time it takes to complete the course
• any other study or courses you’ve done.